vijayawada l thursday l july 09, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l late city EDITION Heavy monsoon rains disrupt normal lives in delhi, Mumbai Building collapses in Pune, 16 feared trapped Heavy monsoon rains battered large parts of the country on Wednesday, triggering flash floods and widespread disruption to rail and road traffic One dead, at least five missing in Delhi Many parts of Maharashtra continued to grapple with the monsoon fury. In Pune’s Pimpri-Chinchwad, at least 16 people were feared trapped after a huge mound of garbage crashed onto a three-storey building, causing it to collapse. Mumbai too reported no respite after days of heavy rainfall. Local train services were delayed and at least 9 city-bound flights were diverted ■ ■ In Delhi, one person died and five to six others were feared trapped after an under-construction building collapsed in the Rohini area. Incessant rains left many areas waterlogged, causing traffic snarls The IMD has issued a flash flood alert in parts of Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, and the Konkan region 61.1 mm rain in Mumbai’s island city during 48 hours till Wednesday 8 a.m. CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI Markets tank as Trump says Iran peace deal ‘over’ Sensex and Nifty tumble over 2% each, crude oil prices soar 6% as West Asia crisis deepens A r shad Khan @ New Delhi BSE SENSEX in a dramatic escalation that further strained the fragile truce in West Asia and sent shockwaves through global markets, US President on Wednesday said the interim ceasefire pact with Iran “is over” and ongoing peace negotiations are “a waste of time”. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the NATO summit at Turkish capital Ankara on Wednesday, Trump also threatened to strike Tehran’s infrastructure and seize the Kharg Island—Iran’s principal oil export terminal that handle 90% of the country’s crude exports. When asked whether the Memorandum of Understanding with Iran was over, Trump said: “It’s a very interesting question. I think it’s over. I don’t want to deal with them... As far as I’m concerned, it’s just a waste of time.” The comments came a day after the US launched a series of strikes against Iran in retaliation for Tehran’s attacks on three commercial vessels in Oman’s territorial waters on the southern half of the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday Iran has been warn. ing ships against using the newly announced maritime corridor near the Oman coast. Responding to US strikes, Iran said on Wednesday that it hit back by targeting US bases in Bahrain and Ku w a i t w i t h 79,000 78,000 change: -1,677.12 (-2.15%) 76,503.60 Prev. Close 78,180.72 11 am 1 pm 3 pm 4 pm Day’s close 76,503.60 missiles and drones. The fresh escalation spooked global equity markets, spiked oil prices, and put the rupee under severe selling pressure. Indian markets on Wednesday lost most of the gains made since a peace deal was brokered between Iran and the US, with the Sensex and Nifty tumbling over 2%. The two indices had gained 2.5% since the announcement of the ceasefire on June 15. The Nifty declined 517 points, or 2.12%, to settle at 23,882 while the Sensex fell 1,677.12 points, or 2.15%, to close at 76,503.60. Investors lost more than `8 lakh crore as the market capitalisation of BSE-listed firms came down from `480.20 lakh crore to `472.02 lakh crore. Meanwhile, Brent crude price surged more than 6% to $79 per barrel while the rupee declined around 0.71% to 95.50 per dollar. Global markets were under pressure, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average Futures falling 1% after key Asian markets including Japan’s Nikkei 225 and South Korea’s Kospi falling 2% P9 and 6%, respectively  . I don’t want to deal with them (Iran) anymore… it’s a waste of time. I’ll let our wonderful negotiators keep talking if they want, but I don’t see it. I don’t like these people — US President Donald Trump Hasten tobacco purchases in State: CM to companies NIA searches three places for terror links P hanind r a Papasani @ Vijayawada Sleuths of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) carried out another round of searches in Vijayawada on Wednesday as part of its probe into an alleged terror links case. The NIA raids began around 5 am, and continued through the day at Vinchipeta, Bhavanipuram and Mahantipuram under the Kothapet police station limits. The NIA conducted searches at a house near Gandhi Bomma Centre in Vinchipeta, and at other premises linked to suspects. Three special NIA teams reportedly examined documents, electronic devices and digital evidence believed to be connected to the case. The raids are aimed at identifying the associates of the three main accused who were arrested in Vijayawada this year. Mohammad Rahmatullah Sharif, a driver from Vinchipeta, was found to be promoting jihadi content through social media platforms, and was arrested by Kothapet police on March 22. It was found that he, along with Mohammad Danish from Bhavanipuram and Mirza Sohail f ro m M a h a n t i p u r a m , h a d planned terrorist activities.  P4 stars ready for eight-lifting Following a rest day, the last-eight stage of the World Cup gets underway with France taking on Morocco at Boston Stadium. A look... All eyes on Mbappe Norway vs England Friday | 12:30 AM* (*IST Saturday) While La Roja haven’t hit the dizzying attacking heights of France, they will fancy their chances of navigating a Belgium side who have slowly built momentum over the course of the tournament Saturday | 2:30 AM* (*IST Sunday) Two of the best No 9s in the world — Harry Kane and Erling Haaland — will go head-to-head when England face Norway. This tie promises to be an epic one Les Bleus begin their final push towards a third World Cup crown when they face Morocco. Kylian Mbappe, who’s in the race for the Golden Boot with seven goals, will once again be the man in focus. Morocco, the sole surviving African side in the competition, are known to be a disciplined unit and they’ll be hoping to cause an upset | P11 Argentina vs Switzerland Saturday | 6:30 AM* (*IST Sunday) Lionel Messi & Co barely managed to survive against Egypt and they’ll face yet another tricky tie when they face an upbeat Swiss side, who will be looking to make history by booking a spot in the semis for the first time Today’s match: France vs Morocco @ Boston Stadium | 1:30 AM* (*IST Friday) 77,000 76,000 9 am Spain vs Belgium Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has said tobacco must be procured at MSP fixed by State government and the price should not fall below `200 per kg | P4 No Delhi angle in Nijjar case as US indicts Bishnoi, Brar JPC report on single higher edu regulator bill before Parl session H a r p r eet B a j w a @ Chandigarh P R E E T H A N A I R @ New Delhi The US Justice Department on Tuesday indicted gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi and Satinderjeet Singh a.k.a Goldy Brar for commissioning the sensational murder of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Canadian gurdwara in November 2023, an assassination that had fractured Ottawa-New Delhi relations. Called Operation Hard Ball, the years-long federal investigation involved law-enforcement agencies in the US, Canada and Europe. Though the then Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau had blamed India for the hit job, investigators found no evidence linking Indian government officials to Nijjar’s murder, said Lisa Moreland, Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Bishnoi is in a high-security prison in Gujarat while Brar is on the loose in the US. The FBI has announced a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to Brar’s arrest. As many as 24 gangsters of Indian origin have been arrested under Operation Hard Ball — 14 of them were in the US, three in Canada and one in Spain, while others were already in custody . Hardeep Singh Nijjar Lawrence Bishnoi Goldy Brar Punjab SHO named in extortion racket The FBI has accused Tanda SHO Gurinderjit Singh Nagra of acting on the behest of gangster Bhagwanpuria to extort $400,000 from a family in US by threatening to implicate them in a false murder case in India. Punjab Police shifted him to the police lines pending inquiry The biggies among the other gangsters include Rohit Godara and Jaggu Bhagwanpuria. The impact of the trans-national crime syndicates was especially felt by the Indian diaspora, the Justice Department’s statement said. Law enforcement is looking for 10 fugitives — seven in the US, two in India and one in Europe. In all, 37 gangsters were indicted, including two who ran their global criminal syndicates from Indian jails. Bishnoi, the indictment said, projected an image of himself as a patriot, nationalist and deeply religious individual on social media, but presided over a sweeping criminal enterprise that spanned multiple continents. He personally directed political assassinations, murders, shootings, extortions, kidnappings, drug trafficking, human smuggling, and other crimes from jail cell through smuggled mobile phones. Bishnoi operated through lieutenants Brar in North America, Rohit Godara (37) of Rajasthan in Europe and Sukhraj Singh Kang (58) of Punjab. “Both Brar and Godara effectively spoke for Bishnoi… and used violence to cultivate a climate of fear, in particular in India and among Indian diaspora communities worldwide,” for extortion, it stated. As for the Bhagwanpuria gang, it operates as a transnational criminal syndicate headquartered in India with members across the US, Canada, the UK, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. This group has more than 1,000 members and associates worldwide; more than 100 of them in the US alone, the statement said. If convicted, many of the accused could face a mandatory minimum prison sentence between 10 years in federal prison and life imprisonment. The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) examining the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan (VBSA) Bill, 2025 is set to adopt the report ahead of the monsoon session of Parliament, paving the way for the government to table the legislation that seeks to establish a single higher education regulator. The proposed regulator will replace the University Grants Commission (UGC), All India Council for Technical Education, and the National Council for Teacher Education. According to sources, the 31-member Parliamentary panel headed by BJP MP Daggubati Purandeswari is likely to adopt the draft report at its next meeting on July 17. The government is expected to introduce the Bill during the upcoming Parliament session after incorporating the committee’s recommendations. The VBSA Bill, introduced during the last winter session, was sent to the JPC after protests from the Opposition. Sources said opposition members will formally record dissent notes and seek deferment of the report’s adoption, saying several provisions could significantly change the structure of the higher education system and undermine institutional autonomy . During an eight-hour meeting on Tuesday the commit, tee held a clause-by-clause examination of the Bill. Opposition MPs proposed multiple amendments, raising concerns over excessive centralisation of powers, encroachment on the role of states, bureaucratisation of higher education, dilution of the UGC’s consultative mandate, and the absence of funding mechanism. Unlike the UGC, the proposed commission will not be responsible for disbursing grants to universities. Funding decisions will rest with the Ministry of Education. Some MPs sought a mechanism for state participation and safeguards on quality standards and fee transparency for foreign universities and operating in India. According to the government, the bill is aimed at reducing overlaps among multiple bodies. AP govt clears guidelines Hostel students get 10% hike in diet charges for passive euthanasia S V is w anath @ Vijayawada S G u r u S r i k anth @ Vijayawada In a landmark decision, the Andhra Pradesh government has cleared the guidelines to implement passive euthanasia in the State, offering a legally backed mechanism for terminally ill patients surviving on life support with no hope of recovery . Health Minister Y Satya Kumar Yadav on Wednesday formally approved the operational guidelines framed in absolute alignment with the Supreme Court’s historical directives on the matter. The decision aims to alleviate the prolonged suffering of end-stage patients while providing much-needed legal immunity and protection to both grieving family members and attending medical professionals. The guidelines are based on the apex court’s landmark ruling which clarified that the right to die with dignity is a fundamental right under Article 21 of the Constitution. The judgment, originally delivered in 2018 on a writ petition filed by the NGO ‘Common Cause’, underwent key modifications by the Supreme Court in January 2023 to remove legal bottlenecks that previously left hospitals, doctors, and families in a dilemma regarding the withdrawal of life-support systems.  To prevent any procedural lapses or misuse, the State administration has entrusted the Director of Medical Education (DME), Director of Secondary Health, and District Medical and Health Officers (DMHOs) with the responsibility of strictly monitoring the enforcement of these protocols. The Health Minister directed top health officials to maintain a high level of vigilance across all stages of implementation to ensure the entire process remains legally and ethically airtight. Nine Core Guidelines Execution of Advance Directive: Any individual in a sound state of mind, free from any coercion, can execute an “Advance Directive” (living will) in the presence of two witnesses. The document, counter-attested by a notary or a gazetted officer, specifies future treatment preferences and nominates a guardian/surrogate to take decisions if the patient becomes incapacitated.  P4 Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday announced a 10 per cent increase in diet charges for students in social welfare hostels and Gurukuls, and directed officials to implement the revised charges from the second quarter of the current financial year. Despite a plea from the Finance Department to postpone the implementation due to financial constraints, the Chief Minister instructed them to implement the revised diet charges from the second quarter of this fiscal, stating that the lives of BC, SC, ST and Mi- Express read AP’s investment facilitation centre set up in South Korea Vijayawada: HRD and IT Minister N Lokesh inaugurated APEX Korea (Andhra Pradesh External Engagement - Korea), the State’s first overseas investment facilitation and outreach centre, and held talks with BNK Financial Group on expanding partnership with AP. He invited Korean companies to invest in `30,000-cr Dugarajapatnam Shipbuilding Cluster, and pitched an integrated footwear manufacturing ecosystem spanning Kuppam, Tirupati and Vizag through engagements with Hwaseung Group and Boo Young Group | P4 nority communities can be transformed through education. He also stressed that students studying in the Social Welfare Department institutions should get education of high quality standards on par with private institutions. More Gurukul institutions should be set up across the State. Priority should be given to constructing Gurukuls instead of conventional social welfare hostels, he said, underlining the need for assessment of the benefits of implementing Net Zero practices in residential schools. The government has allocated `100 crore for social welfare hostels and residen- tial schools for maintenance. Naidu also directed officials to train students in hostels and Gurukuls for higher education and competitive examinations.Best teachers should be recruited to provide quality coaching to students, he said. The Chief Minister said NRIs should be encouraged to adopt welfare hostels. Strong alumni networks should also be developed for welfare hostels, Gurukuls, residential and Ashram schools to develop infrastructure. Professionals should be encouraged to provide voluntary educational and medical services in these institutions, he said. Naidu said welfare should go beyond financial assistance, and help improve the livelihoods of weaker sections.  P4 ‘Deserved it’, says mom as gangrape accused shot dead in encounter S U B H E N D U M A I T I @ Kolkata One of the prime accused in the gangrape and murder of a 12-year-old girl in Baruipur in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district was shot dead by the police during an alleged encounter on Wednesday Sources said police shot Pra. bhas Mondal after he allegedly snatched a revolver from one of the policemen accompanying him, and opened fire in an attempt to escape from custody . Meanwhile, Mondal’s mother refused to claim his body saying he has received , the punishment he deserved. “The little girl died after suffering from immense pain. My son got what he deserved for what he did,” Sadhya Mondal said. “I told them (police) I would not go to collect his body and nobody from the family will either. I do not want to see him,” she said, adding that her son never obeyed her and was a drug addict. His wife Chanpa Mondal also refused to defend him, saying she had endured a lot of abuse while living with him. “I cannot say whether he committed this crime. I have endured a lot of abuse,” she said.